Hawkins and Big Sandy Independent School Districts are mourning the loss of two students who died in a tragic car wreck on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Both schools confirmed the deaths of their students. The two killed were identified as 17-year-old Carter Snider, a student at Hawkins High School, and 16-year-old Boston Wilson, a student at Big Sandy High School.
The crash occurred around 3:40 p.m. on Highway 19, north of Lovelady, involving five people. Two adults were in one vehicle, while the other vehicle carried three individuals, including the two students. The 16-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and two others were flown to a hospital. One of the hospitalized victims, Carter Snider, later succumbed to his injuries.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the tragic loss of a student and member of our Hawk community,” Hawkins ISD said in a release. “We also stand alongside our neighbors in Big Sandy ISD as they mourn the loss of a student. This tragedy has impacted both of our communities.”
Gladewater ISD also shared its sorrow, noting that a former student was involved in the accident.
According to a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) crash report, Snider’s vehicle was traveling north when it went off the road to the right and overcorrected back to the left. The vehicle then skidded into the southbound lane, where it collided with another vehicle.
The driver of the other vehicle, 60-year-old Henry Fields of Houston, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, while his passenger, 60-year-old James Gilford, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Counselors will be available in the coming days to support students and staff at Hawkins, Big Sandy, and Gladewater ISDs. The crash is still under investigation.
